[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

May 17


PHILIPPINES/KUWAIT:

Philippines doing its best to save OFWs on death row


Philippine Vice-President Manuel "Noli" De Castro arrived in Kuwait on
Friday to extend condolences on behalf of the Philippine government to
Kuwait and its people on the demise of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Saad
Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah. He was received in the airports VIP lounge
by Sheikh Ahmad Dawood Al-Salman Al-Sabah and Philippine Embassy officials
and members of the Filipino Community. Accompanied by Department of
Foreign Affairs Migrant Workers Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr,
Philippine Ambassador Ricardo Endaya, Labour Attache Leopoldo De Jesus and
other embassy officials, De Castro handed four letters to HH the Amir
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during their meeting at the Bayan
Palace.

The first letter contains the condolences of Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo. The second one comes from the Filipino people as they
extend their sympathy to the Kuwaiti nation. On behalf of the President,
we also expressed our thanks for allowing Kuwaiti investors to invest in
the Philippines and finally, we also extended our thanks to HH the Amir
for supporting and allowing 130,000 OFWs in Kuwait to work in the country,
disclosed De Castro to the Arab Times. He also hailed the good bilateral
relations of the Philippines and the host country. He said that on behalf
of President Arroyo, he also conveyed the heartfelt gratitude of the
Philippine government to HH the Amir for being instrumental in commuting
the death sentence of Filipino worker, Marilou Ranario.

On the side, he also mentioned to Sheikh Sabah the case of Mae Vecina
whose death sentence was upheld by the Court of Cassation for killing her
6-year-old ward. Currently, the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait and Vecina'
lawyers are negotiating with the victims family for a possible tanazul or
letter of forgiveness to save Vecina from the gallows. "I just mentioned
it to him during our conversation, though he was non-committal and did not
promise anything. We are hoping that we can save Vecinas life. Hence, I
urge all Filipinos in Kuwait and the rest of the world to keep on praying
for Vecina and the rest of OFWs who are on the death row," he pointed out.

De Castro assured that the Philippine government is also doing all its
best to save the other two OFWs in Kuwait who are on the death row,
Jakatia Pawa and Bienvenido Espino Jr who were handed with death verdict
by the Kuwait Court of First Instance. "We will exhaust all legal and
diplomatic means to save them," he stressed. De Castro and his party, in
the afternoon went to the Philippine Embassy in Jabriya to meet with
Filipino community leaders and Filipina runaway maids housed at the
adjacent Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) Filipino Worker's
Resource Center (FWRC) run by OWWA or Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration. At the latter, he was met with harrowing tales of abuse
and mistreatment the runaway maids' said they suffered at the hands of
their employers, when he asked them why they ran away.

De Castro, who also chairs the commission on OFW (Overseas Filipino
Workers) affairs, said they have been doing their best to address the
problems being faced by Filipino workers with regards to their abusive
employers, saying they have met with success in prosecuting cases that
resulted in some of the guilty being sent to jail or made to pay
restitution, which is an exception rather than the rule. He said that in
majority of cases, they are unable to do anything either because of: lack
of cooperation by the aggrieved party for reasons of fear, intimidation
and embarrassment; or many agree to financial settlements. "I cannot
really blame those of you who might opt for the money, considering the
amount you spent to get a job," he said.

(source: Arab Times)